My "To Do" List

   There are lot of "to dos" in life.

   There are those things that I need to do. These may come from responsibilities that I have or places and/or situations that I find myself in.

   There are those things that I have to do. It is in my lap and there is no one else to do it.

   There are some things that I want to do. They give me pleasure, they stoke my ego, they are just the right actions to take.

   Then there are things that I get to do. Deserved or not, they give me satisfaction.

   And sometimes something ends up on all the lists. It may be a matter of perception, or of will, or just because the right things are not always easy, but do lead to satisfaction.

   At times I need to take a look back from the goal to see all the "to dos" necessary to get there.

   Take for example this morning:

   My goal in the mornings is to get up early, read, pray, walk and write, so:

   1. I need to get up out of that warm bed to get started.

   2. My need to is all for nothing if I don't actually do it, so I have to rise and shine (at least rise).

   3. But I really want to do this. I feel that I am called to start my day this way, and my "want to" is a powerful stimulative to keeping on this path

   4. Sometimes I am stymied, or I cannot get going, or God does not seem all that near, no matter how much I want to be in close fellowship, but I do it anyway, feeling that it is right, and that God will honor my efforts. After all, I do not set an alarm and feel that God Himself wakes me up to begin this process each day, so there must be a reason.

   But on those days when it all fits, and I come to the end of the time, and I feel like I have heard from Him and even passed some of it along, I know that I "Get to" participate in His whole story.

   The "I Get To" is a good place to be, and when a bunch of these are strung together, the "need tos" and the "have tos" are much easier to navigate.

   And only God need know all the struggles and joys of the whole process.

   What a deal!